Laura and Ashleigh both wanted a new career direction, something that would build on their skills and challenge them in new ways. Little did they know that their experience in retail and hospitality would allow them to excel in the world of medical recruitment.

Laura had made a solid career in retail, working her way up to management of a major clothing store. She felt like she could achieve more for herself and made the decision to shake up the direction of her career. Recruitment was never a career path that Laura had considered, but she found that the skills she had acquired in retail were easily transferable to recruitment. Her experience with customer service meant she found it easy to be able to relate to people through active listening.

 “Recruitment is 100% active listening. Even the tiniest detail in a conversation is worth noting” Laura said.

Although the thought of utilising new technology and learning new skills was daunting to Laura, she found the camaraderie and support of the team a key driver in her success. The support to push through those tough days has led her to have a career highlight of two promotions in two months, to become Executive Consultant in Aged Care Nursing.

Like Laura, Ashleigh’s background wasn’t in recruitment, she had worked her way up to be a restaurant manager in a fast-food chain. She too was more than ready for a change in career, and was actively seeking out recruitment positions, recognising customer service and clear communication were key factors to being a successful recruiter. In fact, soft skills are just as important as hard skills when looking at becoming a recruitment consultant.

“Given my background, I felt I knew what employers were looking for in candidates, how to be empathetic and how to handle tough conversations” she said.

Even though Ashleigh had no previous experience in recruitment consulting, she says Cornerstone provided her with the right support and development to build on her skills to create great client and candidate experiences.

Both agree that recruitment is a job that you can put past work experiences and skills into, particularly from a retail background. The training and details of recruitment are taught during Cornerstone’s 10 week induction training program. Supporting and developing the skills and knowledge of each employee is an intrinsic value at Cornerstone, setting us apart from other recruitment agencies.  

No matter if you have a retail or hospitality background or something else, your skills are valuable and transferable. If you or someone you know is ready to switch directions in their career and be a part of an environment that fosters success and development, connect with us or call our People & Culture team for a confidential chat on 1300 267 300.